Fotoeins Friday: Bao Chicka Bao Bao (Vancouver Gastown)

At the deliberate risk of hearing a distinctive disco-era soundtrack, the sight of the plate like the one above is surely enough to get anyone in the mood for food. Not only does the Gastown Food Tour (Taste Vancouver Food Tours) provide history lessons on one of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods, but the tour also offers delicious food samples from a number of cafés and restaurants in Gastown. One stop is Bao Down with their clever, cheeky, colourful, and tasty spin on Asian fusion. Their main sell are sandwiches with the soft steamed bun called the “bao” (包). As a product of the city’s Chinatown, I’m more than familiar with the humble bao. Bao Down’s beaut of a “bao chicka bao bao” consists of deep fried free-range Fraser Valley chicken marinated in buttermilk, lemongrass, and garlic; served with daikon, garlic, palm sugar and fish sauce glaze, garlic scape mayo; and topped with cilantro, picked carrots, and scallions. One may never be enough.